Valve.



ARTHUR J. FAUsEK AND CARL A. FRAHM, 0F s'riLoUIs, MISSOURI.

VALVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 16, 1915.

Application filed January 29, 1912. VSerial No. 674,033.

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, ARTHUR J. FAUSEK and CARL A. FRAHM, citizens of the United States, and residents of the city of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valves, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speciiication. Y

Our invention relates to a valve constructed to receive both a supply of water and a supply of steam with provision for the mixture of the steam with the water to raise the temperature of the latter and deliver from the valve hot or warm water of a temperature suitable for use in lavatories, baths, or for any purpose for which heated water is required. The valve is also so made as to permit the discharge of cold water only.

Figure Iis a vertical section taken centrally through ourvalve. Fig. II is a horizontal section taken on the line II-II, Fig. I. Fig. III is a'horizontal section taken on line III-III, Fig. I.

In the drawings: 1 and 8 designate, respectively, water and steam pipe connection members, through which the supplies of water and steam to be mixed in our valve pass, the connection member 1 being provided with a ported diaphragm 2, and the member 3 with a porteddiaphragm l.

5 designates the main shell of our valve, provided with a neck 6, to which the water pipe connection member l is joined, and with a neck 8 to which the steam pipe connection member 3 is joined. The neck 6 has communication by a port 7 with a water receiving compartment 10 in the shell 5, and the neck 8 has communication by a port 9 with a steam receiving compartment 11 in said shell. Flow of water into the water receivingcompartment 10 is .controlled by aspring pressed valve-12 carried by a valve stem 13 that extends into said compartment, and flow of steam into the steam compartment 11 is controlled by a/spring pressed valve 14 carried by a valve'stem 15 that extends into the last named compartment. Intermediate of the two compartments 10 and Il is an outlet compartment 16 having an escapeway 17 that may bc located within a spout or nipple of any suitable design.

18 designates a main valve operating stem rotatably mounted in the valve shell 5, and provided with a handle 19 by which said stem may be rotated.

20 designates a valve housing that extends from the water receiving compartment 10 to the steam receiving compartment 11 and is rotatably arranged in diaphragms 21 and 22 which are respectively interposed between the water compartment and the outlet compartment 16 and thesteam compartment and said outlet compartment. The valve `housing 20 is connected at its upper end to the main operating stem 18 and is provided with two peripheral cams 23,'(see Fig. II), adapted to lengage the inner end of the valve stem 13 to unseat the valve 12. At the lower end of the valve housing 20 is a peripheral cam 24, (see Fig. III), that is adapted to engage the inner end of the 'valve stem to unseat the valve 14. In the valve housing 20 at its upper end are ports 25 through which water entering the compartment 10 may pass into a chamber 26 at the upper end of said valve housing.

27 designates a plunger operable in the valve housing chamber 26 and extending into a mixing chamber 28 beneath the chamber 2G, vthesaid plunger being normally maintained in an upwardly adjusted position by a spring29, and being adapted to be moved downwardly from said position by vthe pressure of water entering the chamber 26 from the chamber 10.. At the lower end of the valve housing 20 is a ported member 30 having a port that furnishes communication between the steam compartment 11 and the mixing chamber 28, this ported member being provided with a valve seat 31 which. faces the steam compartment, and also with v a valve seat 32 which faces the mixing chamber 28.

33 designates a steam cut off valve movable toand from the valve seat 31, and by which iow from the steam compartment 1.1 to the mixing chamber 28 may be prevented. The valve 83 is carried by a. stem 34 connected to the plunger 27 and is moved from its seat upon downward movement of saidv plunger, due to water pressure thereagainst, and provision is thus made for the entrance of water into the mixing chamber 28 past said plunger and the entrance of steam into said mixing chamber past said valve 33, in order that the water and steam may be mixed, with lthe result of the temperature iig of the former being raised by the latter. The steam in its entrance into the mixing' chamber ows through the port in the ported member 30 past the valve seats 3l and 32, and the mixing of the two fluid bodies is facilitated by the use of an annular separator 35 in the mixing chamber provided at its lower end with ports 36. rllhe water admitted to the mixing chamber descends around said separator, passes to the interior thereof through said ports through which 1t it is sucked by the steam, in its upward passage through the port in the memberl 30, the steam and Water being thus brought into intimate contact, and the Water being heated by the Contact with steam, passes upwardly to and over the open top of said separator into the outer portion of the mixing chamber. rlhe heated Water then escapes from said mixing chamber through ports 37 1n the Wall of the valve housing 20, and through a ported retarding ring 38 into the discharge chamber 16. The retarding ring 38 serves as a breaker to check the velocity of flow of hot water as it passes from the mixing chamber of the valve to the discharge chamber so that the Water discharged Afrom the valve will flow in an even and steady stream instead of in an agitated condition, as it would be if discharged at a high velocity. A

One of the very important features of our present invention is the compensating valve 39 that controls the admission of steam into the mixing chamber 28. This compensating valve normally rests upon the valve seat 32 to Which'it is held by a spring 40, which is also the means provided for maintaining the plunger 27 in its normal position. When the steam cuto' valve 33 is opened to permit passage of steam from the steam receiving compartment ll to the mixing chamber 28, the steam presses against the compensating valve 39, and acts to move said valve from its seat, and it will be apparent that the compensating valve will only be opened to a degree commensurate with the pressure of steam thereagainst; and, further, that it 'prevents the flow of water from the mixing chamber into the steam receiving compartment ll, in the event of there being insutcient pressure of steam to unseat the compensating;r valve. If the pressure of steam is sufiicient to unseat the valve, the How of steam acts to prevent the passage of water into the steam receiving compartment while the compensating valve is open.

lt is quite desirable in valves of the kind to which our invention relates to regulate the delivery of steam and Water, respectively, to the receiving compartments, in order that the proper supply of each may be accomplished without either being in excess of what it should be. To furnish such regulation, Weutilize conical controller members on the valve stems 13 and 15 that occupy positions in the ported diaphragme 2 and 4t. These controllers are adjustably fitted to the valve stems and may, therefore, be adjusted at will to vary the volume of fluid permitted to pass through said diaphragme.

The il-shapedl or tapered ports 1n the upper end of the plunger 27 gradually 1ncrease in Width from their inner ends to their outer ends, hence a differential flow of Water into the mixing chamber is permitted; and by making these ports of the proper dimensions, the "admission of water to the mixing chamber may be automaticall regulated to insure a proper mixture o water and steam. This automatic regulation of the Water flowing through the tapered ports is a quite important feature, inasmuch as the quantity of water entering the mixing chamber should be greatly increased as the plunger 27 moves downwardly, and the desired lncrease is provided for by the ports at the upper end of the plunger 27. It will be noted that the plunger 27 constitutes a regulator valve whereby the desired mixture of steam and water is positively maintained at all times, regardless of the quantity of Water flowing through the discharge spout 17.

We claim 1. In a valve, a shell having a mixing chamber, means for delivering Water and steam separately to said mixing chamber, and means, operable by the pressure of steam passing to said mixing chamber, for regulating the admission of the steam to said mixing chamber.

2. 'In a valve, a shell having a mixing chamber, means for delivering Water and steam separately to said mixing chamber, and a compensating valve, operable by the pressure o the steam passing to said mixing chamber, for regulating the admission of the steam to said mixing chamber.

3. ln a valve, a shell having a mixing chamber, means for delivering water and steam separately to'said mixing chamber, and a spring controlled compensating valve, oper-able by the pressure of the steam passing to said mixing chamber, for regulating the admission of the steam to said mixing chamber. A

4. In a valve, a 'shell provided with a Water compartment and a steam compartment and having a mixing chamber ltherein. means for controlling the delivery of Water andstcam to said ,mixing chamber` and means operablev by steam pressure for regulating communication between said steam compartment and mixing chamber.

5. In a valve, a shell provided with a water compartment and a steam compartment and having a mixing chamber there- 1n, means for controllinggthe deliverv et water and steam to said mixing chamber. anda compensating valve adapted to if' operated by steam pressure for regulating communication between said steam compartment and mixing chamber.

6. In a valve, a shell provided with a Water compartment and a steam compartment and having a mixing chamber therein, means for controlling the delivery of water and steam to said mixing chamber, and a spring controlled compensatingvalve for regulating communication between said steam compartment and mixing chamber.

7. In a valve, a shell provided with a Water compartment, a steam compartment, and having a mixing chamber therein, a valve for permitting admission of steam from said steam compartment to said mixing chamber, a plunger by which said valve is operated, the plunger being operable by pressure from said water compartment and controlling communication 'between the water compartment and said mixing chamber, a compensating valve regulating communication between said steam compartment and mixing chamber, and a springinterposed between said compensating valve and plunger.

8. In a valve, a shell provided with a Water compartment and a steam compartment, a rotatable valve housingiwithin said shell having communication at one end with said steam compartment and atthe other end with said water compartment, a valve for permitting the passage of steam from rom said water compartment to the interior of said housing, andmeans operable' by said rotatable housing for controlling the delivery of water and steam to said compartments.

9. ,Ina valve, a shell provided with a water compartment anda steam compartment, a rotatable valve housing within said shell .having communication at one end with said steam compartment and at the other end with said water compartment, a valve for permitting the passage of steam from said steam compartment into said valve housing, a plunger in said valve housing for operating the valve by which the passage of steam is controlled, the said plunger also controlling the passage of water from said water compartment to the interior of said housing, valves controlling the delivery of water and steam to said Water and steam compartments, and cams'carried by said rotatable housing'or operating the last mentioned valves.

ARTHUR J. FAUSEK. CARL A. FRAHM. In the presence of- A. J. MCCAULEY, E. B. LINN. 

